Chapter 428: Demon Hunter (4)

The dark mass scattered, and Tenmei Mio emerged. With her chest puffed out, she reported. "Assassination complete...”

"Assassination complete, my ass!"

Smack!

"Ouch!" Mio rubbed her head with both hands.

"W-why did you hit me, Skaya? It hurts."

"Are you asking because you don't know?"

Skaya held Mio's arms and examined every inch of her body.

"There are no cuts, no holes… there are two eyes and two ears... Haaa."

"Were you perhaps worried about me?”

“How could I not?!” Irritated, Skaya squashed Mio's cheeks with one hand, seemingly in revenge.

Mio’s face was squished until she started looking like a goldfish.

"Bwut I dwidn’t gwet hut."

"I know. That's why I'm letting you off the hook.”

Skaya was angry because Mio's Unique Realm was a space that would only close once a winner was decided inside. In other words, either she or the opponent had to die before the Unique Realm would close.

‘I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw her activate that skill against a Common demon.’

What if when the dark mass scattered and the demon was the one left standing? The mere thought of it made Skaya dizzy. It would mean that a precious comrade had died on her own without being able to say goodbye.

"Never again. Never use that skill recklessly again."

"Wes…"

With that, Skaya let go of Mio's cheek and hugged her tightly.

"Welcome back, you stupid maknae.”

"Skaya..." Mio smiled softly. She could see that Skaya was genuinely concerned about her.

"By the way…" Mio asked, looking around. "Where did the other demon go? I can't see him."

"Oh, him? I killed him."

The demon, Ista, would get stronger every time he betrayed his allies. However, it wasn’t that great of an ability. It was a conditional ability, and the duration of the enhancement wasn’t that long as well.

"Perhaps because you brought the other one away, but he quickly got weak."

The weakened Ista couldn’t withstand Skaya and Gilberto’s onslaught.

"Oh! Then..."

There was only one left. They turned toward Mellis.

“…”

However, Mellis wasn’t particularly flustered, even though his allies had died.

"Those worms… to think that they were so useless.” Mellis briefly assessed the current situation, and he was quick to blame the Common demons for their incompetence, which brought on this current situation.

All of a sudden, a red dot appeared on his forehead.

"Is that a gun?” Mellis glanced at Gilberto with a tired expression.

“…!” Specter felt a sense of foreboding, and he built a huge ice wall in front of Gilberto.

"Frost!"

"Leave it to me."

The power to block was laid on top of it.

Boooom!

A deluge of demonic energy struck the ice wall, and the ice wall disappeared without a trace.

“…”

“…”

The group gulped without realizing it. If Specter had responded even a beat too late, Gilberto could have disappeared without a trace.

‘His glance alone is that powerful?’

‘Specter-nim's reaction speed was unbelievable as well.’

‘Just how strong is he...’

Mellis displayed a level of strength that was completely different compared to what the Common demons showed just a while ago. At the time, the group members were confident that they wouldn’t lose against the Common demons.

But now, they were having doubts if they could even contend against Mellis.

‘He’s a High demon...’

Mellis was truly a High demon. The group’s confidence was dampened by the power Mellis had showcased. They couldn’t help but think of many things upon witnessing such power.

"Your instincts are better than I thought.”

A demonic energy that was so thick it became tangible emerged from Mellis.

Booooom!

The demonic energy started weighing on their shoulders and squeezing their throats.

'This is…!'

It wasn’t a grandiose skill. Mellis had simply mustered demonic energy that was more enormous than they could take. The group members, who could be considered the representatives of Earth, revealed sullen looks at the revelation.

"Interesting." Specter took a step forward. The magic that spread like wings behind his back pushed away the demonic energy suppressing the party.

“Hoh…”

Mellis' eyes shone. He didn't expect that someone would be able to push his demonic energy away.

‘I guess the rumors weren’t completely exaggerated?’

When the man named Heavenly Demon arrived at the land of the demons, he started a rumor about how Specter was the hope of the inferior creatures known as humans. The rumor also involved how Specter would eventually threaten the demons’ survival.

‘I thought it was just nonsense, so I didn’t even consider it.’

In the first place, how could inferior humans destroy the demons? The idea sounded like complete nonsense. Mellis was sure that it would never happen.

"I’m curious...”

How special and amazing was this person in the Heavenly Demon’s eyes for him to spread such rumors?

"Stand back."

At Specter’s warning, the group retreated quietly far away. They realized that they would only be in the way of the upcoming fight. After confirming that his comrades had retreated far enough, he spoke, “I will ask."

When he spoke, the warm mana protecting his allies changed, similar to a coin flip. The mana became fierce as it heated up even the air itself. It looked like the mana would tear apart Specter’s opponent at any moment.

"How many demons are stronger than you?"

"Do you really want to know?" Mellis smiled before extending three fingers. "Three thousand."

“…!”

“In the Underworld, there are at least three thousand demons who are stronger than me. I think I’m ranked 3015th.”

The shocking fact horrified the group. To think that there were three thousand stronger demons than Mellis, whom they couldn’t even handle. However, Specter remained nonchalant as he casually asked, "What exactly are you beings known as demons?"

According to the Manager of the 4th Floor, Han Jun-Min, the Administrators of the Floors were transcendent beings. However, he had never heard the manager mention anything about demons.

"Hmm." Mellis tilted his head. "I don't understand your question.”

"What are your goals, and how did you hack into the System?"

“…” Mellis remained silent at that.

The Frost Queen seemed to have noticed something as she said, "Contractor, I think that he is but a small fry."

The Frost Queen seemed to have concluded that Mellis didn’t know the answer, which was the reason he was keeping his silence.

"Seeing that you don't know anything, it seems that even a High demon is expendable in the Underworld."

"I’m expendable, you say?"

Mellis’ expression changed for the first time, and his demonic energy fluctuated along with the changes in his mood.

"I just don't care what the nobles want to do. I always do what I want...”

"Then, were you the one who planned and created the 5.5th Floor?"

“…” Mellis pursed his lips at that.

The Frost Queen smirked and said, "What a shame. Your master only knows how to give orders. It seems like he doesn’t know how to communicate with his dogs."

"Shut your mouth!" Mellis shouted for the first time.

However, the Frost Queen simply stared at him with a cold smile.

"No. I can’t do that because I finally know…" The Frost Queen acted like she was familiar with the personality of Mellis’ master, even though she still hadn’t met Mellis’ master. "He has a chic personality, but he thinks that everything is beneath him. He acts omniscient, even though he is far from it."

“…!”

"You’re desperately trying to imitate him, am I right? No wonder you look so awkward—you’re simply imitating your master’s personality."

Mellis' eyes twitched subtly. He was ashamed, and he felt as if he were naked.

“How dare… how dare a mere human humiliate me like this…!

"I’m sorry, but I am not a human being. I am the Queen of Niflheim."

"What? The Queen of Niflheim? Are you talking about the one who freezes the world?"

"Since you know me, you better speak with the proper etiquette from now on." The Frost Queen folded her arms and raised her chin.

Mellis stared at her for a while before snorting. “You’re the Frost Queen? Don’t make me laugh! You haven’t even reached the Star Destruction Stage yet, let alone the Transcendence Stage!”

"You are mistaken. When I opened my eyes I was a Spirit in a weakened state—"

"Shut up! If you're the dog Frost Queen, then I'm the Archduke of the Underworld!"

“…!” The Frost Queen had never been openly insulted like this before. Speechless, she turned to look at Specter with an aggrieved look and started vigorously shaking Specter’s sleeve.

“@#$%^&!”

"Transcendence Stage? Star Destruction Stage? What does that mean?" asked Specter while patting the whining Frost Queen next to him.

Mellis smiled. "If the bug next to you is the real Frost Queen, then you should have known about what those words mean long ago.”

"Her memory isn’t intact.”

"Ah, of course, I’m sure that’s the case."

Was he happy to see the Frost Queen sniffling at the injustice? Mellis regained his former composure as if he had never been humiliated earlier.

“It’s absurd that the Frost Queen herself actually doesn’t know about the Five Stages. It is so ridiculous that it’s not even funny at all.”

"The Five Stages?"

"Disaster Stage, Liberation Stage, Star Destruction Stage, Transcendence Stage, and the Absolute Stage. Creatures with sufficient power are divided into these five stages throughout the universe.”

Specter had never heard of the Five Stages before, so he couldn’t help but ask, "What stage am I at?"

"Hm…” Mellis thought about it for a moment before responding, "You’re barely at the Liberation Stage."

Specter couldn’t retort. After all, he wasn’t really sure about the difference between the stages.

"Well, there's no way you'd know about it even if you heard it. It's my fault trying to talk with inferior bugs." Mellis' demonic energy, which had become tangible that it dyed the air itself, rapidly expanded. "I’ll end it quick."

Mellis focused all his attention on Specter.

‘If you're good enough to deflect my demonic energy…’

Mellis didn’t want to believe it, but he had to think that Specter could put up a fight. He made a sidelong glance at the Frost Queen.

‘There is zero chance that the annoying woman is the Frost Queen.’

She introduced herself as a Spirit, so she seemed to be a Spirit of ice, at the very least.

After all, he could feel a Spirit's unique energy from her.

‘He stopped my attack earlier using ice. Should I assume that his main attribute is ice?’

There were some rumors that Specter could use darkness. However, Mellis wasn't worried about that at all.

‘Darkness will ultimately get eaten by a greater darkness.’

Perhaps Specter could deal with the fiends’ demonic energy, but Mellis didn’t think that he would be able to handle the demonic energy of demons. Moreover, Mellis' demonic energy was particularly thicker than the others.

‘Let's take a look at your skills, then.’

Mellis immediately threw a spear made of demonic energy.

Swooosh!

Specter avoided the spear by tilting his head slightly to the side.

‘He avoided it.’

He expected that Specter would be able to avoid it. He didn't even hope that Specter wouldn’t be able to react to that spear and die right there and then.

'Well, it was just bait. What I'm after is...’

Smack!

Specter grabbed the foot that flew in from his left flank with his right hand. He didn’t even look at the foot as he slowly turned to Mellis.

"A location swap skill?"

"Tsk." Mellis couldn’t believe that Specter didn't even blink at the bait. Mellis sent his demonic energy up and disappeared once more. He was surprised to see that Specter seemed to be extremely good at fighting despite being a mere insect.

“…”

Was Specter saying that it was his turn? Magic came out of Specter like a thread.

The light in Mellis' eyes changed at the sight.

‘He’s moving a tremendous amount of magic.’

It meant that Specter was channeling an extremely powerful skill. In that case, this was both an opportunity and a crisis for Mellis.

‘I'll smash it open.’

It was a simple but very effective way to demoralize his opponent.

Ruuumble.

Specter’s magic abruptly expanded, and a huge clump of darkness appeared in front of Mellis.

“…”

The darkness Specter had mustered was like a creature born in the darkest place in the world. Mellis looked up. The snake made of darkness grew bigger and bigger the more he looked at it. At the sight, alarm bells started ringing in Mellis' head.

‘I think it'll be dangerous to keep staring at it.’

Mellis’ instincts were screaming at him to run rather than to keep staring at it.

‘Damn it.’

His pride would take a hit, but it was better than getting done in by the attack. Mellis kicked off the floor to dodge.

“…?!”

He tried to move, but he couldn’t move. His legs—no, his entire body wasn’t listening to him.

"Too late. You won't be able to move from now on," muttered Specter, seemingly bored.

He wasn’t just doing image training whenever he woke up from the nightmares related to the Heavenly Demon. He did everything he could to become even stronger so he would finally be able to kill the Heavenly Demon when they met once again.

"Basilisk."

This was one of the skills he managed to create while he was madly training away. It was a monstrous darkness that contained both Scorn and Freeze.

‘The snake petrifies you while you’re looking at it.’

Naturally, using Freeze on an opponent was faster than Basilisk. However, Basilisk was unique because its effects were negligible until it was too late.

If the opponent were to look at the Basilisk for a while without noticing anything, then by the time they noticed that something was wrong…

“The snake has already wrapped its tail around you."

Specter flicked his finger, and the snake attacked its immobilized prey.

“Argh…!” Mellis staggered and grabbed his chest. The crimson liquid that dyed his palm red was definitely blood, but he couldn’t understand it.

‘I definitely strengthened my body with demonic energy, so how did I get wounded?’

It felt like his thoughts couldn’t keep up with reality. For the first time, Mellis was now looking at Specter as an enemy rather than just a bug. At last, he could finally see that Specter was staring at him with bored eyes.

‘So he’s…’

The strongest among the Players…

At the revelation, Mellis' eyes quivered in apprehension.